BMW joins FIS and IBU on the skiing circuit

Long-term partnership with FIS Cross-Country World Cup, IBU Biathlon World Cup and IBU Biathlon World Championships.

Munich . BMW will be heavily involved in winter sports in the future. Over the coming years, a number of comprehensive partnerships will see the company establish a presence in the field of Nordic skiing. Starting this season, BMW is a main sponsor of the IBU Biathlon World Cup and the IBU Biathlon World Championship. In cross-country skiing, BMW lines up as a Premium Partner of the FIS Cross-Country World Cup and the popular FIS Tour de Ski. Both commitments will span several years. Furthermore, BMW will also be "Official Car" partner of the International Biathlon Union (IBU) and its promoters, Infront Austria.

 “Cross-country skiing and biathlon epitomise endurance and precision – two attributes that suit the BMW brand brilliantly,” says Karsten Engel, Vice President Sales Germany. “Interest in these winter sports has grown continuously in recent years. We want to allow our customers to experience these fascinating events first hand.”

Over the course of the nine events forming part of the IBU Biathlon World Cup and the 2011 Biathlon World Championships in Khanty-Mansiysk (RUS) the BMW logo will be visible on advertising banners and the shirts of the athletes, as well as other branding.

Dr Stefan Seykora, Managing Director Infront Austria, says: “We have once again demonstrated we are able to target the right commercial partners for biathlon. To add BMW to the already impressive list of international brands in the IBU World Cup and the World Championships as a main sponsor is a great achievement for all involved. The images of Biathlon and BMW work well together, and we are expecting excellent results for BMW, in particular, as biathlon will continue to receive increased television exposure at an impressive level of 1,400 programming hours per annum.”

The appearance of BMW in the FIS Cross-Country World Cup will further demonstrate the company’s winter expertise as one of the biggest manufacturers of four-wheel drive cars worldwide in the premium sector. Apart from the classic means of communication such as banners and branding on the start, finish and intermediate buildings, the BMW logo will feature on the shirts of the athletes at selected Tour de Ski events.

“We are proud to have added another premium brand to the FIS Cross-Country World Cup with BMW,” said Christian Pirzer, CEO of FIS Marketing AG. “This is an impressive confirmation of our new marketing concept, which is the central promotion of all cross-country world cup races staged by FIS. The high quality standards of BMW are our incentive and confirm this. We are looking forward to a positive and long-term partnership.”

Last year BMW celebrated a successful return to winter sports with its “BMW Winterfreude” campaign. At selected skiing venues over the course of the entire skiing season BMW is present with its complete four-wheel drive experience xDrive and the public can try it first hand.

In addition, the BMW Group is committed to winter sports as a National Sponsor of the Munich bid for the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

2011/2011 IBU Biathlon World Cup Calendar.

29.11. - 05.12.2010    Östersund (SWE)

06.12. - 12.12.2010    Hochfilzen (AUT)

13.12. - 19.12.2010    Pokljuka, (SLO)

03.01. - 09.01.2011    Oberhof (DEU)

10.01. - 16.01.2011    Ruhpolding (DEU)

17.01. - 23.01.2011    Antholz-Anterselva (ITA)

31.01 -  06.02.2011    Presque Isle (USA)

14.02. - 20.02.2011    Fort Kent (USA)

03.03. - 13.03.2011    Khanty-Mansiysk (RUS)

14.03. - 20.03.2011    Holmenkollen (NOR)

Next year's Biathlon World Championships will take place in Khanty-Mansiysk (RUS) from 3rd to 13th March.

The 2010/2011 FIS Cross-Country World Cup begins on 20th November 2010 in Gällivare, Sweden, and ends in mid-March 2011 in Falun (SWE). The first World Cup event in Germany will be held in Düsseldorf on 5th December.

The FIS Tour de Ski forms part of the World Cup season. This year the event, which enjoys enormous popularity among spectators, is comprised of two events in Germany (Oberhof and Oberstdorf) and two events in Italy, featuring the spectacular final ascent to Val di Fiemme’s Alpe Cermis.

For questions please contact:

Corporate Communications

Heike Bartsch, Sports Communications

Phone.: +49-89-382-33115, Email: heike.bartsch@bmw.de.

Internet: www.press.bmwgroup-sport.com

Birgit Hiller, Business and Financial Communications

Phone: +49 89 382-39169; Email: birgit.hiller@bmw.de

Internet: www.press.bmwgroup.de 

The BMW Group.

 The BMW Group is one of the most successful manufacturers of automobiles and motorcycles in the world with its BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 24 production facilities in 13 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

The BMW Group achieved a global sales volume of approximately 1.29 million automobiles and over 87,000 motorcycles for the 2009 financial year. The pre-tax profit for 2009 was euro 413 million, revenues totalled euro 50.68 billion. At 31 December 2009, the company employed a global workforce of approximately 96,000 associates.

 The success of the BMW Group has always been built on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy. As a result of its efforts, the BMW Group has been ranked industry leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes for the last five years.